“There is a difference when you can get something that is grown nearby. It is going to be fresher, it’s more sustainable, and you’re supporting your local food community,” Figueras said.

Fair Shares is a Combined Community Supported Agriculture program in St. Louis that partners with an array of farmers to provide members with a weekly share of produce, grains, meats and cheeses for the length of the season.

“We started Fair Shares – we’re wrapping up our sixth season – because we were involved with Slow Food, which is an international organization that really focuses on the importance of knowing where your food came from,” Hale said. “We thought we should really make this more accessible to people in St. Louis.”

Fields Foods is a full-service grocery store that opened in Lafayette Square in January with a commitment to keeping half of their products natural. According to Randol, 15 percent of the store’s products are locally sourced and the store has contracts with 150 local vendors.

“We’re kind of a two-fold mission,” Randol said. “One is to bring food into food deserts; we’re focused on food security, bringing a product in where people don’t have access to it. And secondly would be to support the local farming community – growers, producers as well.”

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